Psalms of Thomas
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The Psalms of Thomas 13-20, from Allberry (1938), are given below.[1]
The Psalms of Thomas 1-12 are hosted online at the Gnosis Archive.
XIII: ... the Church unto (?) the Apostle[edit]
- Thou (?).... chooser of the righteous,
- all thy sons seeking after thee,
- all thy sons seeking after thee.
- thy beloved ones expecting thee....
- thy sons seek after thee,
- thy beloved ones expect thee daily,
- thy disciples seek after thee,
- looking for thy form in their midst.
- I went forth to plant a garden beyond the confines of this world,
- choosing and planting in it the plants that grew in the Living ones.
- I will give orders to the gardener:
- "Attend to my trees, my new plants;
- attend to my new plants that
- they sleep not nor slumber,
- they sleep not nor slumber,
- (that) they forget not the order that has been given them."
- For the years pass like months.
- The months fly away like moments (?).
- These are houses which are given on lease;
- years they are, taken on loan.
- I am not sick at heart for the bodies,
- but for the treasure of the Living ones that is lodged in them.
- I am expecting the Living ones to send aid after me:
- the Living ones shall send me power,
- my brethren shall bring the Light
- .... How long therefore....,
- that they may....
- (line 30 illegible)
- .... with (?) me before the Mighty one.
- The Mighty one questions me.
- The Great one of the Brightnesses examines me:
- "O Righteous one.
- the world whence thou art come,
- - what aspect has it, how does it fare?"
- I said, "The world whence I am come
- is all full of evil, envy, hatred, and strife.
- They all kill one another,
- they destroy their flesh with the sword.
- There is creation (?), conception, and creation.
- A soul thrusts down a soul.
- They are prostrated,
- they lie on their faces,
- their faces are not turned to the land of....
- They increase greatly in evil,
- they do not....
- the Living ones at all...."
- "Before (?) the evil waxed greatly,
- O Righteous one, how did the world fare?
- When the evil waxed greatly.
- did the chremata lean one upon another?"
- "The chremata supported one another through the Mind of Truth which preached to us."
- "When the evil again became worse and worse,
- how didst thou dwell in their midst?"
- When the evil again became worse,
- I lifted up my eyes to the Land of Light.
- A man called down unto the world, saying:
- "Blessed is he that shall know his soul.
- Therefore am I troubled for my soul,
- lest it faint and stray and itself become worse.
- For the world shall pass and come to nought
- and its works also shall perish with it."
- Do you therefore, ye great Elect,
- lift up your eyes to the land of Light;
- you shall see the friend of the righteous standing beyond the world;
- you shall see the Great one of the Brightnesses from whom every soul has....,
- the tree which is life entire,
- having power (?) over his beloved ones,
- calling to.... ferrying across all his faithful.
- My brethren, love me with your heart.
- Do not please me with your lips:
- the children of the lip are blotted out,
- the children of the heart abide.
- Do not be like the pomegranate,
- whose rind is gay outside:
- its rind is gay outside
- but (be) its inside is full of ashes (?).
- My brethren, ye have not been healthy.
- Do not please me with your lips:
- the children of the lip are blotted out,
- the children of the heart abide.
- Do not be like the tombs of the corpses,
- which are whited indeed outside but its inside is full of carrion.
- ....which eat
- the.... and use it up and sleep and slumber themselves.
- My brethren, ye have not been healthy.
- Do not please me with your lips:
- the children of the lip are blotted out,
- the children of the heart abide.
- Do not be like the saddles of horses,
- for outside indeed it wears fine trappings,
- they wear fine trappings outside.
- but (be) inside they are full of etre.
- My brethren, ye have not been healthy.
- Do not please me with your lips:
- the children of the lip are blotted out.
- the children of the heart abide.
- I would have you be like a jar of wine,
- firmly set upon its stand:
- for the outside indeed is a piece of pottery covered with pitch,
- while inside it is a fragrant wine.
XIV: I heard the cry of a physician[edit]
- I heard the cry of a physician,
- the cry of a exorcist coming (?) to me.
- I heard the cry of a physician healing his poor ones (?).
- He stands, he heals his beloved ones,
- perfecting (?) all his believers.
- The cry of a.... that is about to open,
- imploring in the presence (?)....
- O physician (?), heal me, loose my....
- O charm-looser;
- for thy healing is not of the earth.
- Thy cures are not of this world.
- Thy healing is of the Land of the Living ones.
- Thy good cures are of the princes.
- "How shall I heal thee,
- O Matter the.... the Mother of this world?
- For I am the physician that heals
- but thou art the wounder that wounds.
- I am the.... up
- but thou art the striker, the layer low.
- Thou art the bitter...:
- what hast thou to do with the wealth of the Land of Light?'
- If thou wilt not heal me...
- (line 11 illegible)
- .... a single day an hour only,
- and I will take my arrows....and bring
- them up to the world,
- and I will take my silent (?) arrows
- and shoot them from brink to brink
- and wound the sons of men...
- not...to him that.... it to them,
- that there is death,
- there is life,
- there is also the Land of Truth.
- I will give thee not a single day.
- I will not allow thee an hour only.
- For what ceases for 1 day shall cease for 22 years,
- what ceases for 2 days has ceased for 44 years,
- what ceases for (3) days shall be wiped out to the end of the world.
- The ox that.... his stall, with his horns,
- who shall buy him?
- .... that.... his eyes with his fingers,
- who shall.... to him?
- He into whose ears they shall call,
- if he hears not.... shall be divided (?) in all the worlds.
- He shall suffer what the corpses suffer,
- for they called into his ears,
- he did not hear.
XV: For a table has been set in the house[edit]
- let us....,
- for a table has been set in the house,
- a table was set in the house
- for souls that they might not wander,
- that they might not wander,
- that souls might not be wiped out
- and be destroyed in the world,
- whose desire is great,
- great are the
- ....O man in whose hands is the Richness,
- why wilt thou slumber in this sleep?
- Wherefore wilt thou not divide for thyself
- the night into three parts
- and sleep for one,
- and watch for one,
- and ruminate with the rumination of the Living for one?
- Wherefore wilt thou [not] rise (?) betimes
- that thou mayest glorify the great Lives,
- before the....
- ....,
- before the...his wings,
- before ...drug-box spread out in it,
- before he....,
- even the lawless judge,
- and sits upon the throne (?) of lawlessness,
- before the accuser comes forth
- and sits at the side of the magistrate
- ....word of the accuser
- and they take [thee] away in disgrace
- and katomizein [thee]?
XVI: Salome built a tower[edit]
- Salome built a tower upon the rock of truth and mercy.
- The builders that built it are the righteous,
- the masons that hew stones for it are the angels.
- The floor (?) of the house is Truth,
- the beams of the roof are alms,
- faith is [the]....
- the Mind is the.... of its door.
- They that go into it rejoice,
- they that come out of it,
- - their heart seeks after gladness.
- She built it and gave it a roof,
- Salome gave a parapet to the tower,
- she took (?) an anēsh of storax to purify (?) it,
- she took the.... of incense into the palm of her hand....forth,
- she set it upon her head,
- she went into it,
- she called my Lord Jesus,
- saying.... "mayest thou answer me, Jesus,
- mayest thou hear me,
- for I am not double-minded,
- one is my heart and one my intention,
- there is no thought in my heart that is split or divided."
- Garland (?) me with the Brightnesses
- and take me up [to the] house of peace.
- The governors and rulers,
- - their eyes looked upon me,
- they wondered and marvelled
- that the Righteous belonged to a single Lord.
XVII: The Little one made music by night[edit]
- The Little one made music by night,
- he mocked at... at (?) him:
- "O World that... life ever.
- O World.... of whom?
- Of ...,
- it has been said that they shall perish and pass,
- of the ...,
- it has been said that they shall perish and retire,
- [of the Darkness] and the Fire,
- it has been said that they shall perish and pass,
- of the.... the sphere,
- it has been said that they shall be destroyed and pass,
- of the crowned ones of the kingdom,
- it has been said that they shall perish and pass,
- of the creation and the creator,
- it has been said that they shall perish and pass."
- The Little one makes music by night,
- Matter answered him with a word:
- "O Little one that makest music,....
- thou it is art not of this world".
- He said, "I indeed [am] in this world,
- but I shall not dwell in it from henceforth.
- I have tried the world and known it,
- that there is not a tittle of life in it.
- Since I have known the world it has hated me,
- even the whole world;
- when I saw that it hated me,
- I in my turn hated it, .... feet (?).
- I cast the whole world forth."
- "O world, what have I to do
- with thy perdition?
- May they suffer (?),
- even thy kings;
- thy powers and the principalities,
- - may they be counted (?) [to the] part of destruction."
- O my heart, remember the house of [thy Father]:
- I will go to the house of the Living
- .... my Father,
- out of the Land of them that are far.
- I run, they run after me,
- until I readied the Land of the Living,
- I bent down,
- I sat,
- I rose,
- I went my way:
- I, the Living one,
- from them that are far;
- I, the Truth that....
- I will ascend,
- I will ascend,
- until I reach holy (?).
- When I readied the Land of....before me,
- they brought a brightness forth...
- they brought [a] Light,
- they clothed me in it,
- and (?) the garland of victory,
- they brought it and set it upon my head;
- the Living numbered me in their number
- and set me down among them,
- Amen.
XVIII: I reached the door of the garden[edit]
- I reached the door of the garden,
- the fragrant smell of the trees spread to me.
- I lifted up my face, saying:
- "Who will take from me 10 talents
- and take me in to the garden?
- 20 silver staters in all,
- who will take them from me and make me sit beneath the shade of the garden?
- 30 silver staters in all,
- who wil take them from me and make me stand in its midst?
- 57 in all,
- who will take them from me and take me in to their midst?
- A full 100 entire,
- who will take them from me, that I may be counted worthy to be one of them?"
- They came from the height of Truth,
- they said to me,
- even the victorious Elect (?):
- "What hast thou to do with 10 silver staters?
- ... porter...
- What hast thou to do with 20,
- what hast thou to do with 30,
- standing at the door of the...?
- What hast thou to do with this whole 100?"
- "Thou shalt be put to the torture by thy enemies;
- but if thou fastest with fasting,
- thou shalt be taken into the garden;
- if thy eyes glance not evilly,
- they will make thee sit beneath the shadow of the garden;
- if thy mouth speaks truly,
- they will show thee their Image;
- if thy hands are pure (?) from....,
- they will hear the accents of thy pleading....
- if thy heart is firm,
- they will.... and make thee stand in their midst;
- if thy feet walk in the path of Truth,
- they will make thee one of them.
- If thou doest these things indeed and steepest not,
- thou shalt go up and see the Land of Light."
XIX: The vine which grew from the Living ones[edit]
- They brought forth from my heart,
- the vine which grew from the Living ones.
- The smell of the vine is pleasant,
- sweet also is the taste of the tree.
- Its clusters (?) are gathered,
- they are entwined;
- its grapes also are gathered.
- [Good is the] wine that is pressed (?),
- all full of good wisdom.
- He that shall drink of it,
- - his eyes shine in his head,
- his thought is firm in his heart,
- his thought is firm in his heart.
- He remembered the great.,
- he remembered...vine,
- they planted it...
- (lines 29-30 destroyed)
- up to the city of mockery.
- They that (?)....,
- when they saw me,
- they wagged their heads....,
- they sneered (?) at me,
- they turned up the nose in mockery, saying:
- "O man, come forth from among men (?),
- thou didst set fire to our city.
- I spoke unto my..., saying:
- "Weave a garland (?) and encircle (?) my head,
- weave a garland (?) and encircle (?) my head.
- Let them fall down into my lap,
- even thy... let them fall down into my lap,
- [even thy...,
- that I may see who it is that thou hast....
- and that they may come] within,
- even the righteous,
- and may give them as
- a gift strong in their power.
- The women (?) whose hearts are firm are garlanded with petals
- and sent up to the Land of Light."
XX: The cry of Pamoun[edit]
- The cry of Pamoun,
- the ox... mercy,
- making the worlds to weep:
- "What have the generations done to me?
- Unto what have the sons of men delivered me?
- They took two-edged axes,
- they put them up in the marshes,
- they felled the thick (?) trees
- and the thin (?) ones they did not leave alone.
- The thick (?) tree indeed they made into a plough,
- the thin they made a goad,
- they took it to the craftsmen,
- they made (?)... his hand forth upon it,
- they fashioned a yoke and mounted it on my neck,
- they hung the plough behind me,
- they hooked the plough and hung it behind me,
- they pierced my sides with the goad....
- .... they delivered me to the son of the Butcher,
- the fattener of oxen took me,
- his.... took me,
- the son of the butcher,
- the son of the butcher,
- he chopped me up,
- he scattered me abroad piecemeal,
- they scattered me abroad,
- [they] hung me in the markets in the presence of...
- threw (?) my bones to the....
- Therefore release (?) me from these things
- and from the others,....
- ....after me....-ly
- ...and they do not buy it.
- The... of the....
- ... the ox....
- burning (?).... inside....
- ... he (?) called,
- even the....,
- he that....
- Do not strike,
- O Pamoun, the ox,
- and shake the vessels that are in thee.
- I will make thee sit upon the place of the....
- the generations pass away through thee... to thee,
- and thou shalt make...wherein they planted (?) thee,
- and repay it to..., thou (?) living.
- They are free, even they that....
- my brethren, from the day of the great....,
- Amen.
- Thou art sweet and pleasant,
- thou..., all of them.
- Thou [givest] sweetness to my heart,
- thou art....
- my mouth.
- Thou art sweet.
- Thou didst.... in (?) the Father,
- thou didst.... the Maiden.
- .... the Elements....
- .... Omophorus....
- Thou didst obey the Mother....
- .... and her Image.
- Thou didst.... sin.
- Thou art sweet.
- Thou didst see with thy eyes the scattering....in it.
- Thou art sweet.
- Image up to them that....
- all of them, [in] the flesh.
- Thou didst appear (?) to the Archon....
- his companion (?) whom he begot.
- Thou didst.... his helpers and the ministers of his iniquity
- ...with him and four that lead him forth.
- (lines 25-24 illegible)
- And (?) the three arouse the....men.
- (lines 27-32 fragmentary)
References[edit]
- ↑ Allberry, C. R. C. (Charles Robert Cecil). 1938. A Manichaean psalm-book: Part II. Stuttgart, W. Kohlhammer.
External links[edit]
- Translation of Psalms 1-12 (Allberry 1938, hosted at the Gnosis Archive)